Chromatic harmonicon



Feb. 15, 1949.

A. BOREL CHROMATIC HARMONICON 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 21, 1946INVENTOR: Andre Bqrel His Astenti Feb. 15, 1949. A. BOREL 2,461,806

CHROMATIC HARMONICON Filed Feb. 2]., 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:Andre Borel His Agent Feb. 15, 1949. BOREL 2,461,806

CHROMATIC HARMONICON Filed Feb. 21, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR: dreBore].

His Agent Feb. 15, 1949. A. BOREL 2,461,806

CHROMATIC HARMONICON Filed Feb. 21, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTGR:Andre Bore His Agent Feb. 15, 1949. BOREL 2,461,806

CHROMATIC HARMONIGON Filed Feb. 21, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig.5

' INVENTOR:

Andre BoI'el His Ageht Patented Feb. 15, 1949 CHROMATIC HARMONICON Andi-Borel, Paris; France Application February 21, 1946, Serial No. 649,226In France Decemberl'l, 1943 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 194.6Patent expires December 17, 1963 2 Claims. 1

The subject matter of this invention is a harmonicon of the known kindwherein small reed pipes are arranged within a generally rectangularcasing which is slid on ones lips and sounded by onesbreath like apanpipe.

As known, a chromatic harmonicon most frequently-comprises two rows ofparallel holes, one for the whole steps and the other for the halfsteps; consequently, it is not possible on such an instrument to soundchromatic chords or to play rapid passages, and one must satisfy onesself with playing comparatively simple melodies.

Indeed, it is known to control the passage of the air through thereedsby means of a keyboard acting upon outside valves arranged below thesound-generating reeds in the manner of an accordion. keyboard; such anarrangement makes it possible to sound any desired chord, but theinstrument becomes bulky and uneasy to manipulate as a mouth instrument.

This invention is concerned with a harmonicon of usual size although itallows to obtain the same chromatic chords as an accordion and to playthe most elaborate variations; the keyboard of this harmonicon can bedesigned for various fingering systems.

For that purpose, each duct leading to a reed plate is controlled by avalve whose shaft is secured to a push or key actuated by the performeragainst the action of a return spring. The air exhaled into an airchamber provided with bailies flows through the ducts at every moment,said ducts have been set free by the lifting of the related valves andactuates the vibratory tongues providing the reeds.

The number of reeds, and consequently of valves, may be varied asdesired; thus, in a harmonicon of hardly larger size than an ordinaryone with two rows or air slits, as many as thirty eight valves can bearranged which will allow to sound the chromatic chords over threeoctaves.

Since the reeds according to theinvention are locatedat the outletof-theair ducts, the sound undergoes no throttling whatever and comesout in its whole purity; besides, the provision of two reeds per ductand valve makes it possible to play on this instrument both byexhaling-and by inhaling.

In a conventional harmonicon the breath of the performer will comedirectly in contact with the reeds, and the latter will soon becomesoaked with spittle, this leading to a rapid oxidation of the same; onthe same account, the lids that close the slits will soon get out ofshape. According to this invention, such spittle is retained in theairchamber, which is provided with .a baffle or partition, so that the bulkof it is prevented from reaching the valves; a blow-off valve allows-toempty the air chamber.

A further feature of this harmonicon resides in the possibility, byclosing and opening the apertures in the ornamental casings with oneshand, to obtain the same muting efiect as by opening and closing themouth of such brass instruments as trombones, trumpets and the like.

In the harmonicon according to this invention the said effect is securedby means of a pair of shutters actuated by a mechanism arranged Withineasy reach of the player.

A preferredembodiment of the subject-matter of this invention will nowbe described more specifically, reference being had to the appendeddrawing in which:

-Figure1-is a perspective view. Figures 2 to 5 inclusively are enlargedviews of the musical instrument shown in Figure 1.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line. II-II in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is asectional viewtaken on line III-J11 in Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is'an end view of the instrument with its end cheek removed,looking as shown in IV-IV in Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the instrument with most of itscasing broken away.

The harmonicon consists primarily of a blocki,-e.-g.1made of wood,drilled or otherwise formed with a series of verticalcylindrical ducts2'to receive valve shaftss and in one side of which slits l are milledwhich correspond to the valves.

Said block i is flankedby a pair of end plates or-cheeks-i5, E'braced bycover plates 7 that can be curved and decorated as desired. Forinstance, said cover plates 1 fit at either end thereof-in slots'cutin'said'cheeks 5, 5 or are held by lugs ;8-on'the latter; said checks aresecured to the block 1 by screws removable.

Milled inv the top sidezof block! areuslits 16 designed to house springs22; an ornamental cover in is held by lugs on cover plates 1.

Secured to the block at the bottom side thereof by screws I2 is an airchamber I3 provided with an inside baflie l4 and with a blow-off orifice37; a mouthpiece I5 is secured to one side of said chamber.

Square apertures I 8 are punched in plate [0 in alignment with sockets20 provided in the block I and designed to receive shaft heads l9 '9which make same easily of similarly shaped section by which they areprevented from rotating. Keys H are screwed on the shaft heads :9. Afelt or rubber cushion 33 is laid on the bottom of each socket 213 whichprovides the extension of a corresponding duct 2 for the purpose ofabsorbing the shock of the head [9 on said bottom, and a notch 2! is cutin each head to receive one end of a spring strip or the like 22 securedwithin the slit l6 and by which the related valve is returnedinstantaneously to its closed position.

Secured to the under side of block I is a plate v23 punched with holes26 for the passage of the "valve shafts 3 and of the air in the openposition of said valves; felt or like cushions 24 absorb the shock ofthe valve discs 25 and provide for air-tightness of the joint.

Communicating with the said holes 26 are side ducts t which open at thesides of block 1 adjacent to the reed plates 2'1; vertical elongatedapertures 23 are cut in the latter, which are closed by vibratorytongues 29, 29a providing the sound reeds; each duct leads to twotongues, of which the one 29 is designed to be sounded by inhaling andthe other 29a by exhaling; each aperture 28 is provided at the correctside thereof with a thin leather packing 39 by which the joint is madefluid-tight. As a result, each valve 3 is related with one duct 4 andtwo reeds 29, 2911, so that the player can sound the same sound byeither exhaling or inhaling.

Each reed plate 21 has a flap 3| hinged at 32 arranged in front thereofwhich can be closed completely against the load of return springs 33 bythe action of push pieces 34 cammed away by a slide plate 35 shifted bymeans of an arm 36 projecting from one end of the instrument.

The flaps lay themselves upon the ornamental cover plates and constitutethe so-called wawah device.

It will be appreciated that the arrangement described above allows toprovide the block I with as many ducts 2 for the operation of valves 3and as many side slits 4 as keys H are to be availed of; as many asthirty-eight keys can easily be arranged on a harmonicon of usualdimensions, which amounts to seventy-six reeds arranged at the outletsof thirty-eight slits 4 leading from the thirty-eight holes 26 to beopened or closed by as many valve discs 25 in response to the actuation.of the keys by the player. The latter consequently avails of aninstrument enabling him to obtain all the chromatic chords just as froman accordion, which was not possible with known harmonica and whichinvolves no such bulkiness in design as a harmonicon with outsidevalves.

- Moreover, the arrangement of the valves ahead of the reeds, and of thelatter at the outvlets, warrants sound purity and allows the instru- 1.A chromatic mouth organ of the reed type comprising a substantiallytrapezoidal elongated block provided with three series of parallelperforations and with a corresponding number of grooves along one of thesides and the lower part ofsaid block and communicating with thecorresponding perforations, valves including stems guided in saidperforations, control keys for said stems on the ends thereof projectingin a given direction and valve heads at the opposite ends of stems, aplate secured to the; face of the block corresponding to the location ofthe valve heads and provided with perforations registering with theblock perforations, resilient cushions inserted between the outside ofthe plate and the valve heads, an air chamber fitted on the outside ofthe plate over the valve heads, sound plates applied laterally on theblock to either side thereof and couples of reeds carried thereby andregistering with the corresponding slots.

2. A chromatic mouth organ of the reed type comprising a substantiallytrapezoidal elongated block provided with three series of parallelperforations and with a corresponding number of grooves along one of thesides and the lower part of said block and communicating with thecorresponding perforations, valves including stems guided in, saidperforations, control keys for said stems on the ends thereof projectingin a given direction and valve heads at the opposite ends of stems, aplate secured to the face of the block corresponding to the location ofthe valve heads and provided with perforations registering with theblock perforations, resilient cushions inserted between the outside ofthe plate and the valve heads, an air chamber fitted on the outside ofthe plate over the valve heads, sound plates applied laterally on theblock to either side thereof and couples of reeds carried thereby andregistering with the corresponding slots flaps arranged to either sideof the block in front of the location of the reeds, springs urg-- ingsaid flaps outwardly into organ closing posi tion and means operated bythe player for controlling said flaps against the action of the springsand including sliders guided over one end of the block and earnsinserted between said sliders and the corresponding flaps,

ANDRE BOREL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain June21, 1892 Number Number

